Here are some really easy ways to be water wise in the home and garden. Remember, small changes make a big difference to the amount of water you use every day so why not give it a try? You’ll be surprised how much you can save (and if you have a water meter, you’ll reduce your water bill too). Try these easy tips in the house and garden and see how much water you can save.

Using water inside

Spend one minute less in the shower

If each member of a family of four spent one minute less in the shower they could save approximately 36 litres of water a day!

Use a washing up bowl

Instead of letting the tap run for longer than it needs to, use a washing up bowl – you can reduce wasted water by up to 50 per cent! Even better, use your dishwasher, you’ll save yourself a job and often they use less water than washing dishes by hand – remember to do a full load each time.

Turn off the tap

Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth saves a massive six litres of water per minute! For a family of four that could be up to 48 litres a day.

Boil only what you need

People often overfill the kettle when they make a cuppa, think about it next time you make one just for yourself, and make your mantra: 'boil only what you need'.

Using water outside

Ditch the hosepipe

Hosepipes use hundreds of litres of water an hour. Use a watering can for your plants, and a bucket and sponge for your car, and you’ll be doing the environment a good turn.

Avoid sprinklers

A sprinkler uses more water in one hour than a family of four will use in a day. Lawns will soon green up again when this hot weather leaves us and we get some rain!

Water out of hours

Water your garden in the early morning or late evening, when less water is lost through evaporation.

Consider re-using water from the home in the garden

Think about ways you can re-use any water from the home in the garden. Plants can be watered with bath, shower and kitchen water. Soil and potting compost are effective at filtering out contaminants including soaps and detergents, so there's no need to worry about using it on your plants.

Use mulch for moisture

Add a layer of mulch (eg bark chips, manure) over your soil to retain moisture and keep weeds at bay.

Choose less thirsty plants

Try planting drought-resistant plants, such as geraniums. They look great, and require a lot less water, and not watering them as often means you can save time too!

Buy a butt

A water butt collects the rain from your roof, so you can give your plants a drink.

More information can be found in our using water wisely leaflet (PDF 1,948 KB opens in a new window).